Device for laying parquet flooring.



F. WELLAN.

DEVICE POR LAYING PARQUETA FLOORING.

APPLIOATION Hmm Nov.19, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PAEIENT OFFIO.

FRANZ WELLAN, OF VIENNA., AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO llDWlN COOPER, OF VlENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

DEVICE FOR LAYING- PARQUET FLOORING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 19, 1907.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Serial No. 402,860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANz lVnLLAN, carpenter, a subject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, and a resident of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, XVI, .Degengasse 69, have invented an Improved Device for Laying Parquet Flooring; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to marquetry and parquetry, and has for its object a device for laying parquet flooring.

For various reasons parquet floors have re cently been frequently laid on a layer of asphalt or similar support on a concrete floor, instead of on plank-floors. Now in consequence of the asphalt support yielding when it is hot, it is very difficult to ascertain whether the blocks lie exactly horizontally, and consequently it cannot be avoided that some blocks are not perfectly horizontal, on account of which bad joints are obtained between the individual blocks, and the finished floor is uneven. After the floor is made this unevenness must be removed by planing over the same, the consequence of which is that the blocks are made thinner in places.

Now an important object of the device which is described hereafter is to avoid these disadvantages when the blocks are fixed in place as here described or otherwise, namely to obtain a perfectly smooth jointless surface when laying the floor. The device consists of an adjustable plate which is provided with a bracket or ledge; the latter forms a support for the blocks when they are being laid, and by means of the ledge it is easier to set the blocks exactly horizontally. The plate can be provided at both ends with additional adjustable brackets, or the like which serve as stops for the blocks which are to be laid first and which thus serve for preserving the position of the same, and in a given case also enable the plate to be set at the distance which corresponds to the laying of the blocks. Lastly, the plate is also provided with pressing cheeks by means of which the blocks which are already laid are held down as long as the underlying support has not hardened.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment is represented by way of example in the manner in which it is employed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 shows a crossscction of the device in the plane 1--1 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same with a portion of the parquet floor which has been made. Fig. 3 1s a section in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2, whereas Fig. 4L represents in crosssection a portion of the parquet flooring in which the blocks overlap at their top side.

rlhe device consists of a suitably long plate board, or plank 1 which rests with several, say four, feet 2 on the hardened cement foundation 3. These feet are on the lower end of screws l which are screwed into the plank 1 and by means of which the latter can be moved and adjusted vertically. The front side of the plank is provided with a bracket or ledge 5 which is preferably bent at rightangles in front and forms a support for the blocks which are to be laid. At both ends of the plank there is an angular bracket or square arranged in such a manner that the limbs G, 7 of the same are at an angle of 450 with the front longitudinal edge of the plank, and therefore lie in the longitudinal direction of or at right-angles to the blocks which are to be laid. rFliese squares 6, 7 are detachably attached to the plank by one or more clamping screws 9 and are adjustable by means of a longitudinal slot S in the one limb 6, whereas the other limbs 7 which project over the plank are provided at their underside with cheeks 12 which can be fastened by one or more clamping screws 11 and which are displaceable in a longitudinal slot 10. By means of the two slots in each square, the cheeks 12 can be adjusted and fastened in the longitudinal and also in the transverse direction of the blocks which are to be laid. The two limbs of each square are connected with one another by a hinge 13 in such a mannerthat the limb 7 provided with the cheek 12 can be turned up. At the front side of the plank there are additional cheeks 14 provided arranged revoluble in the plane of the top of the plank; these cheeks each carry a pressure-screw 15, by means of which, and with the help of a block 16 pushed under the same, the laid parquet blocks can be pressed down and tightened at one end between the screw and the ledge 5.

The manner in which the device is used is as follows: lVhen the first row of blocks 17 has been laid in the manner usual hitherto,

the device is placed opposite this row eXactly horizontally or at the required angle with the aid of one or more spirit levels 18 arranged or placed on the same, in such a manner that the ledge 5 of the plank lies in one plane with the lower edge of the rims of the blocks 19 which are already laid. After the device has also been placed at a distance from the row of blocks already laid corresponding to the lay of the blocks, the cheeks 12 are placed touching` these and fixed by means of the clamping screws 11, whereby the distance between the device and the laid row of blocks is fixed. A commencement can now be made with laying the blocks. This is done on the side where the one cheek of the square forms a level surface with the laid blocks (see Fig. 2 below). The block which is first laid thus touches the cheek, whereby its correct position, as well as that of the adjoining block is determined. Vhen laying the blocks, the same lie at one end against the ledge 5 of the plank 1, whereas with the other end they abut the previously laid row of blocks. There is now placed over the tight joint of the two rows of blocks a board on which the workman kneels with one knee while at work, whereby the blocks just laid are pressed down to a level with the blocks already laid. After' a number of blocks have been laid, in order to prevent them rising up on account of the force of the asphalt which is still hot and which therefore throws out bubbles, the laid blocks are pressed down with the help of the vscrews 15 and a plate 1G placed under the latter until the asphalt has cooled down, when they are securely held fast in their correct position.

When the laying of the blocks has proceeded until nearly to the end of the device, in order to be able to lay the blocks quite up to the end of the device, the limb of the square which is in the way there is turned up. In this manner it is possible to lay the blocks with the aid of this device up to the outside edge of the parquet floor. After the blocks have been laid the entire length of the device, the latter is pushed forward a distance equal to its length, whereupon the laying of the blocks can be continued. It is preferable however to use two like devices, but without squares, for laying the addi tional blocks, in such a manner that after employing the one device, the other is connected to this alternately and so on until a complete row of blocks is laid. It is selfevident that the above described device can also be employed for laying such parquet blocks which engage one another with rabbet and groove. F or example, as shown in Fig. 4L, the blocks can overlap one another at the top side.

l/Vhen laying such blocks the projecting tenons 21 form a second uplport for the blocks which are to be next LlC l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for use in laying parquet blocks comprising in combination a plate, a supporting ledge thereon for the blocks which are to be laid, and adjustable means for leveling said plate on an uneven surface, whereby a support is provided for the blocks at one end of the same, thereby facilitating the construction of a perfectly smooth ointless parquet surface without subsequent work, substantially as described.

2. A device for use in laying parquet blocks comprising in combination a plate, a supporting ledge thereon for the blocks? which are to be laid, adjustable supports supporting said plate, and a square having a hinged limb adjustably attached at each end of said plate at a suitable angle to said ledge, for the purpose of assuring the correct position of all the blocks of a row by placing in position the first rows of blocks, substantially as described.

3. A device for use in laying parquet blocks comprising in combination a plate, a supporting ledge thereon for the blocks which are to be laid, adjustable feet supporting said plate, a square having a hinged limb adjustably attached at each end of said plate at a suitable angle to said ledge, and a cheek attached displaceably longitudinally on the hinged limb of said squares, for the purpose of obtaining the correct po sition of the device with regard to the laid row of blocks by contacting the latter with said cheeks, substantially as described.

4. A device for use in laying parquet blocks comprising in combination a plate, a supporting ledge thereon for the blocks which are to be laid, adjustable feet supporting said plate, a square having a hinged limb adjustably attached at each end of said plate at a suitable angle to said ledge, a cheek attached displaceably longitudinally on each hinged limb of said squares, one or more additional cheeks revolubly attached to and above the plane of said plank, a screw passing through each of the latter cheeks and a block attached to each screw under the latter cheeks at the front edge of said plate, for the purpose of keeping the parquet blocks pressed on said ledge, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ VVELLA.v

Titnesses FRANZ REITER, ROBERT WV. HEINGARTNER. 

